


First Impression

by Fluffysminion



Category: Warhammer 40.000
Genre: Carbonek, Feral World, Mutation Stage: Five, The Tall and the Smalls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21808258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffysminion/pseuds/Fluffysminion
Summary: The beast has been tracked to his lair





	First Impression

It had been a spur of the moment decision, to go after the beast tonight. But her hunting feline had caught the scent of something, and whatever it was had caused the normally well-trained animal to puff up almost to the size of a longfur. And so the hunter had rushed into the wilderness alone, at night, taking only the hunting bow and knives she’d had on her. There was something about the scent that the hunting feline didn’t like, she dutifully did her task but whined almost constantly, and flattened herself at the slightest sound. Perhaps the animal was just more sensible than her mistress and didn’t want to be in the wood after sunset. She could hardly be blamed for that.

Though both moons were full in the sky little moons’ light made it to the forest floor. She was relying on the hunting feline entirely to find her way now, and their progress had slowed even further as she was forced to test the ground before each step. Valley walls rose on both sides as she stumbled determinedly onwards. The feline’s protests continued to escalate, yowling and even spitting as she is repeatedly coaxed back to her feet.

But the animal wasn’t needed anymore. The beast’s lair was close enough that even the hunter could smell it. The air was saturated with the unmistakable scent of large predator, the acrid yet sweet smell of an animal that scent marks, a scent of warmth and fur and size, a scent of blood and flesh on the edge of decay. Not wanting her animal’s protests to give her away any more than they already had she ran her hands up the nearest tree searching for a branch to tie the lead to. There were few branches low down, but at the highest part of the tree she could comfortably reach she felt something else.

The bark stopped. The exposed wood was smooth and grooved, like something had gouged wounds in the tree frequently enough to wear it smooth. Like the horn-marks longfurs us to mark their territory, she thought. But far too high off the ground, and a lot bigger…

Unwilling to waste any more time lest her courage failed her, she tied the feline to the trunk and pressed on. The scent was thick in the air and there was a trail worn in the vegetation around her feet. Trees gave way to stone as she stumbled into the cave’s mouth, but it didn’t get darker. The walls ahead were lit by the glow of distant firelight.

Clutching her knife tightly she crept forwards, into the realm of the beast.


End file.
